Not an AMA member?

The Australian Medical Association Limited and state AMA entities comply with the Privacy Act 1988. Please refer to the AMA Privacy Policy to understand our commitment to you and information on how we store and protect your data.

Search

Media

How to fix Medicare? Strengthen the GP system. "Of all doctors, they are the specialty that delivers the best bang for every health dollar," AMA President Dr Michael Gannon has told the Economic and Social Outlook Conference in Melbourne.

Almost 200,000 people a week turn up to a doctor's surgery or hospital clinic without their Medicare card, and allowing staff to look up their details online lets them get timely care. AMA President Dr Michael Gannon says it would be a shame to throw out the system because a handful of people may have abused the system for criminal advantage.

Doctors' offices must be able to access patients' Medicare numbers, and it would be a shame if the system was brought down by the fraudulent actions of a few individuals, AMA President Dr Michael Gannon says.

The AMA has long argued that doctors should be regarded as an integral part of the aged care workforce, in the same way that they are an integral part of the hospital workforce. Now, a Senate Committee agrees.

The AMA has put the Turnbull Government on notice that it will continue to campaign for an end to the Medicare rebate freeze, and for better general practice funding and training. The commitment coincides with the AMA' s Family Doctor Week.

AMA Vice President Dr Tony Bartone, responds to calls for parents to visit GPs as the first point of call rather than emergency departments. Dr Bartone said GPs are well-placed to deal with such presentations.

AMA President Dr Michael Gannon said that the Medicare freeze is bad policy & the election outcome proves it was bad politics as well. Dr Gannon said unraveling the GP freeze would go a long way to assuaging the concerns of the AMA and medical profession.